It’s almost Valentine’s Day! I love this holiday because: A. love is a lovely thing, B. exchanging cards or little gifts is always fun, and C. chocolate! What’s not to enjoy? You know what else I’m totally loving right now? Enamel pins (hello 90s fashion – it’s nice to see you again!). If you’re looking for a cute gift to give to your friends, coworkers, or gal-pals, these faux enamel pins are quick and easy to make.
Watch our video tutorial for the walkthrough, or follow the steps below. The fun part about this DIY project is that there is lots of room for creativity. You can personalize these Valentine’s pins any way you want, or you can use the printable template available below!
Materials
Step 1
Print out the Valentine’s Day pins template. Lay a piece of shrink paper over the template, and with a marker, trace each shape onto the shrink paper.
Step 2
Fill in the designs with a thin layer of acrylic paint. The more paint you apply, the “rougher” the pins will look once they shrink, so keep it light. I recommend using high-quality paints, as cheaper paints require multiple layers to get richer color.
Step 3
Once the paint has dried, go over the lines of the designs again to redefine any hard edges. Add any lettering over the paint.
Step 4
Cut out each design. Take your time with this step, as the shrink paper can rip easily.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 325º F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the designs on the pan so they are not overlapping. Bake for 1-3 minutes. The shrink paper will initially curl while baking – once the paper has curled it will shrink to 1/3 its original size, and become remarkably thicker.
Step 6
After the designs have cooled, use hot glue to apply the pin backs. If you want to give your pin designs some added protection, you can seal them with a finisher spray. Done!
Side note: Like I said earlier, I love enamel pins. That being said, watching fashion come full circle and recognizing the decade this fad came from because I lived through it has me feeling super old! I’ll let it slide though, because 90s fashion really was the best (#DENIM4LIFE).